A decision on how to restore two floors of Carlisle's flood-hit civic centre is expected to be made over the coming months.

The basement and ground floor of the iconic Rickergate building were filled with flood water when Storm Desmond swept across Cumbria in December 2015.

As a result, Carlisle City Council's customer contact centre has been based in a temporary portacabin adjacent to the car park.

At a meeting of the authority's environment and economy overview and scrutiny panel, deputy chief executive Darren Crossley said a decision on how both floors will be developed will be taken to the executive.

He added: "I can say that we have finally come to an agreement with the insurers over a settlement fee for the site.

"It's taken longer than we were hoping. We had a meeting two weeks ago and the figures were spot on."

As part of a wider update into the progress of reinstatement work across the city, Mr Crossley added that much of Bitts Park was now open to visitors and that plans for a state-of-the-art canopy at the tennis courts were progressing well.

Carlisle City Council was handed £400,000 by the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) for the canopy, which will cover the three existing tennis courts, replacing the air dome.

Mr Crossley explained: "We've been working with the LTA and we have got a separate protracted design for it.

"It's something that will have to go through planning for approval."

Members of the panel were also given an update on the facilities at the Sheepmount Athletics Stadium, which sits close to the conflux of the River Caldew and River Eden.

Mr Crossley said: "It has been through some process and there are details that are more complicated. The costs have been more difficult in relation to that site.

"The athletes have been using the facilities for some time. We've been co-operating with them in the best way we can.

"There have been some issues with regards to parking and the footpath that we will be looking at."